


And A Set Of Steak Knives

by cynatnite



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Clint Barton likes Phil Coulson more than he should, Dr. Phil - but not that kind of doctor, Hydra!Phil, M/M, Phil Coulson - Evil Hydra Scientist who is really a nice guy, Phil gives Clint a shower, Phil likes handcuffs, Phil's 41 ways to kill someone with a banana, Probably a happy ending, Some Humor, Some angst, Stockholm Syndrome but it's probably not, make up backgammon game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-16 15:06:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2274333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynatnite/pseuds/cynatnite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU with Clint Barton as a good guy and Phil Coulson being the evil tax guy Hydra scientist who is really smart and practically a boy scout because he's ready for anything...well, except the archer who was supposed to kill him, but he wound up saving his life. Are you confused? Well, I doubt this fic will help that. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Blurriness. That was all SHIELD Agent Clint Barton saw when he opened his eyes. Shapes were malformed. He closed and then lifted his eyelids in hopes of clearing up his vision. Still blurred. Something was in the crux of his elbow and he tried to look.

When he attempted to move his head, he grimaced. The pain rocked through his brain like waves of elephants trampling over him. He had to move, get out of here. _Where ever here was_ , Clint’s muddled brain thought.

The mission went sideways. Clint remembered that much. Fury gave him a kill order on a high ranking Hydra scientist. Tracking the secret lab had taken nearly seven weeks of following leads all over Eastern Europe. He had found it in an old underground World War II bunker in a thick German forest.

Clint had thought back to the debriefing report on Steve Rogers. Not all of Red Skull’s secret hideouts had ever been accounted for. The lab had to have been one of them. Once in the laboratory, Clint hadn’t found the scientist, but he did find himself cornered by a contingent of Hydra soldiers who figured shooting first was a much better option than taking him prisoner. There had been an explosion and then nothing.

He had to move. Clint needed to radio for extraction. If he had been in SHIELD medical Natasha or Fury would already be talking to him.

“Fuck!” Why won’t his arms move?

Then he felt the metal. He was cuffed to the bed. Clint relaxed his aching head and closed his eyes. They got him. Hydra finally had their hands on him and he was going to be tortured. He’d heard the stories. No amount of training could prepare even the best SHIELD agent for what was to come.

When Clint heard the door, he closed his eyes. No reason for them to know just yet that he was conscious. He listened acutely to each sound. There was movement not far from the bed. He could hear the swish of a lab coat, he guessed. Then metal on metal sounds. Torture devices it sounded like. He could feel a body come close to the bed and Clint tensed expecting the feel of hands on him.

He was a little surprised when the body stepped away and nothing happened. Maybe they were waiting for him to wake up. Clint was confused. His captors were outright considerate. Unless this was their plan all along.

 _Fuck_ , Clint thought to himself. He’s been at this job for too long.

“We can start off with some ice or water. If you can hold it down you can graduate to soup later, broth to be specific.”

The voice was matter-of-fact, gentle and much nice than Clint could expect.

Wait? What? Does he know?

“I’m starting you on a new round of antibiotics,” the voice explained. “It’ll be a one-two punch for that infection you’ve been fighting since we got here.”

Clint sighed. Might as well quit faking it, he figured. He opened his eyes and his sight was considerably clearer.

“How did you know?”

The man in the lab coat turned around. He looked more mild-mannered tax guy than evil scientist. His smile was modest.

“I didn’t. Just a hunch.”

“Do I have a concussion?”

“No.”

“My head…”

“It’s the result of the horrible anesthetic I was forced to use. There wasn’t any decent on hand.”

“Anesthetic?” Clint asked.

“Oh, you were shot.”

Evil tax guy scientist came forward and pulled down the sheet covering Clint’s torso. Clint saw the entrance wound had been carefully stitched.

“Through and through?”

“Yes. It was a clean shot. I’d tell you to thank the shooter, but he’s probably dead.”

“Because I’m not dead?”

“Because he’s a horrible shot.”

After the sheet was put back in place, Clint watched him cross the room. “Dr. Phillip Julian Coulson, M.D. PhD and all around evil science genius.”

Phil smiled a little. “I sound like a crazy villain right out of a Captain America comic.”

“You are. You’ve been researching applications of the X-Gene in non-dominant homo sapiens for strategic mapping in metropolitan populations.”

“I’m impressed.”

“I read the material.” Clint watched him return from his task with a small IV bag. He’d had enough time in medical to know that was his new antibiotics. “So, where are we?”

“Well, it took some doing, but I got us to a small jet and flew to a private island.” Phil changed out the bag and tossed the other in the trash.

“One of Hydra’s,” Clint surmised.

“SHIELD has gotten quite good at identifying Hydra secret installations so I found something better.”

“Better,” Clint repeated.

“Yes, this is one of Tony Stark’s islands.”

Clint nearly laughed. “You think you can hide from SHIELD on one of Stark’s islands.”

“He has to know he owns it to begin with.”

“Tell me you’re kidding.” He couldn’t stop the grin.

“I hacked into one of Stark’s private accounts, transferred the cash and had the papers emailed through a proxy server. The owner was understandably thrilled and agreed that discretion was desired. He got an extra $10,000 for his silence.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed that I’m a prisoner of Hydra. But Stark finding out that he unknowingly bought an island and paid cash for it is just the best.”

Phil was pleased that he was pleased. “I’m glad you approved.”

“I just wish I was the fly on the wall when he finds out and you know he will.”

“Turn on your side. I need to check the stitches in your back.” When he did, Phil examined the wound. “By the time Stark discovers he owns this island, I will be long gone. I expect it to take at least a couple of weeks when his accountants get around to wondering what happened to his $8.2 million.”

“You think you’ve got that long here?”

“Yes.” Phil finished and pulled up the sheet. He went to the medical tray. “Director Fury and Natasha Romanov are likely tearing into the German countryside as we speak. I have time.”

Clint sigh was grim. “You know who I am.”

“I know everything about you, Agent Clinton Francis Barton.” Phil picked up the syringe, tubes, tourniquet, tape and gauze. He went back to the bed. “You are very important to SHIELD and they will not stop until they find you even if it means killing me.”

Eyeing the needle, Clint’s breath caught in his throat. “What are you planning on doing with that?”

“That was your mission, wasn’t it? To kill me.”

“I was sent to end you at all costs.”

“It’s safe to say you failed.” Phil wrapped the tourniquet around Clint’s upper arm. “I’m only taking blood samples. I can easily knock you out if you fight me.”

Clint stilled. “You haven’t lied to me yet.”

Phil filled two vials and applied gauze to Clint’s thick vein. “I have no reason to lie to you.”

“Why do you want my blood?”

“You are a unique individual, Agent Barton. You have uncanny abilities.”

“I’m not a mutant and neither were my parents.”

“Are you sure about that? Plenty of mutants possess exceptional abilities thinking they are just as normal as any other non-mutant.”

“I don’t have an X-Gene,” Clint insisted.

“Did SHIELD test you for it?” When he didn’t answer, Phil continued. “If they said as much, can you trust them to tell you the truth?”

“You can stop that shit right now, Coulson,” Clint ground out. “SHIELD isn’t known for its openness and honesty, but it won’t stop me from playing on their team.”

“We’ll see.” Phil crossed the room, poured some ice water in a glass and came back. He helped Clint take a drink.

When he finished, Clint said, “So, what happens next? You find out I have no X-Gene and then what? Letting me go out of the goodness of your heart?”

“One step at a time,” Phil told him.

“Well, while you’re figuring that out, do you think you can let me have a bathroom break?”

“Sure.” Phil went to a cabinet and returned with a male urinal. He held it for Clint to see.

“I don’t think so.”

“No other option, Barton. I’ll uncuff one hand and then the rest is up to you.”

Seeing that the man wasn’t about to relent, Clint cursed under his breath and nodded. “Fine.”

Phil took the key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuff. He held out the urinal and Clint snatched it from his hand. He nearly grinned as he watched Clint sit it on the bed and then maneuver his boxers.

“Do you really have to watch?”

“Modest are we?” Phil had to admit the archer had a fine looking body. The boxers hid little to the imagination. The ass alone was a work of art.

When Clint finished, he handed off the urinal and got back in bed. Seeing nothing within reach to act as a weapon, he sulked.

Phil returned and set the urinal within Clint’s reach.

“I’ll leave your hand free if you’ll behave.”

“You’re an evil Hydra scientist bent on doing crazy genetic experiments and I’m a kickass SHIELD agent, a good guy, and you expect me to behave.”

“If you don’t think you can control yourself…”

Clint raised his hand. “Fine, I’ll be good. Just get me something to eat besides broth. I don’t think I can take another minute without sustenance.”

“Chicken noodle soup is the best I can offer post surgical.”

After he left the room, Clint let his head fall back on the pillow. It would figure he’d get the nice evil villain. Phil Coulson was nothing like he expected. The best looking people were usually the ones to watch out for and Coulson was the exception to that rule. He had bright blue eyes and they seemed to sparkle when he smiled. Clint let another expletive escape for noticing that.

He sat up and took a look at his surroundings. It was a large bedroom with one window. The curtains were pulled and he couldn’t gage if it was night or day. In front of him was a large bathroom and he could see the shower stall. To his left was what he guessed was a closet door and a dresser in the corner with cabinet next to it. Above that, hanging on the wall, was a medium sized television. In the opposite corner was a chair and small table. Next to his bed was a night stand, a floor lamp and another table in the corner littered with medical equipment. Then there was the IV pole with two bags hanging from it.

Sometime later Coulson appeared with a tray. He set it across Clint’s lap.

“You’ve got chicken noodle soup, a few crackers and apple juice. That’s the best you get for now.”

Clint saw the hero sandwich on another plate. When Phil took it, he straightened. He watched the scientist take the empty chair across the room and start eating it. Then he took out a bottle of Mountain Dew from his lab coat pocket.

“You really are fucking evil,” Clint stated. “You’re actually going to have the equivalent of a Subway meal right in front of me.”

“Eat what I brought you. If you keep it down, tomorrow you get toast, eggs and coffee.” Phil took another bite.

Clint lifted the spoon. “Asshole.”

Phil just took a large drink of the soda in front of him in retaliation.

“So, I take it its nighttime right now?”

“Nearly 8pm. You’ve been out of it for a couple of days.”

“Infection, right?”

“By the time we arrived here you were already feverish.”

“You did surgery on me. How did you get everything together so fast?”

“To be honest, we had Intel that said SHIELD had marked me for termination. I figure if they were willing to go to those lengths, I needed a quick and easy out. I made preparations.”

“Preparations,” Clint repeated. “For all of this?”

Phil nodded. “I am very efficient.” He took another bite, chewed and then swallowed. “I converted the living room into a lab.”

“Not the kitchen?”

“Where I cook?” Phil had a distasteful look on his face.

“Point.”

They ate in silence and when Clint was finished, Phil came after his tray.

“Thanks, by the way,” Clint told him.

“For what?”

“You could’ve left me and I’d be dead otherwise.”

“Unless I had ulterior motives.”

“Maybe, but I’m thankful all the same.”

Phil left and half an hour later he returned with a syringe. Clint watched him at his IV.

“What are you going to do with that?” Clint warily asked.

“I suspect you won’t allow yourself to rest much. Sleep speeds recovery time.”

Clint stiffened. The last thing he wanted was drugs. “I’ll sleep. You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s your first night here. The injury and subsequent infection took a lot out of you, Agent Barton. If you were in a hospital, I’d still prescribe it.”

“In a hospital, I’d have a choice and I’d tell you to shove it up your ass all the same.”

“Be that as it may, you’re still getting this. You’ll sleep most of the night.”

Clint watched him inject the sedative into his IV and in a matter of minutes he became groggy, then was fast asleep.

~*~

Seeing the archer in a deep sleep, Phil reached over and pulled the sheet up to his shoulder. He considered adding a blanket, but it was warm enough that he’d be fine without it. Phil rubbed his eyes feeling the tiredness seep from his skin to the bones.

He hadn’t slept much for the last two days. Making sure Clint Barton survived had been foremost in his mind after getting here. He had spent considerable time and energy saving his life not only from the bullet wound, but a nasty infection as well. The delay in care had made it all the more difficult.

Phil went to the closet, grabbed sweat pants and a t-shirt. He headed to the bathroom and proceeded to take a long hot shower. Using the opportunity to plan ahead, Phil took his time under the water planning his next move.

First and foremost was what he was going to do with Clint Barton. Determining if the archer had any special powers or the X-Gene was at the top of his list. A lot of assumptions had been made about the agent and his fantastic abilities. Phil was eager to uncover how the man was capable of such incredible feats of archery.

He had only just began the lab testing so he didn’t expect to get any substantive results for a while. Breaking apart DNA took time and he always felt like a kid opening the very first present under the tree.

But with Clint Barton, he was even more eager. Phil wanted to know what made the archer tick. He suspected there was far more than unique genetics that made the SHIELD agent what he is.

When Phil finished, he dried off and dressed. He entered the bedroom and stopped at the foot of the bed. Clint was on his side, his free hand tucked under his cheek and his knees drawn up just a bit. Phil was tempted to get in bed and move in behind Clint, pulled him close and form his body next to him.

He shook his head and chastised himself for such a foolish notion. Clint hated him probably almost as much as Phil hated himself. He grabbed a spare pillow from the closet and dropped it on the floor near the dresser. He stretched out across the floor and stuffed the pillow under his head. Phil turned his head and sighed at seeing the archer. He couldn’t stop watching him sleep.

 _Having only a one bedroom house sucked_ , Phil thought.


	2. Chapter 2

This time when Clint opened his eyes, his vision was much clearer and the noise far more annoying. He looked over and sitting in the chair was Phil Coulson typing on a laptop. The man was not wearing his standard lab coat. Instead, he wore grey sweatpants and a Beatles t-shirt.

Clint was thankful he could at the very least sit on the edge of the bed. He relieved himself using the urinal and never got even so much a glance from Dr. Coulson. Clint was starting to feel a trifle ignored.

“What are you doing?” Clint asked.

Phil never broke eye contact from the screen. “Working on other projects.”

“I thought you already had one.”

That was when Phil stilled Clint with a firm gaze. “We are capable of multitasking at Hydra.”

“Oh.” Clint scooted back on the bed. “So what are your other projects? ‘World Domination for Dummies’. ‘Hydra: The Twilight Years’.”

“I think we’re a little more prolific than a New York Times bestseller list.”

“What time is it?”

“After 7AM.”

“I’ve been asleep for ten hours?” Clint couldn’t believe it. He’d never slept so long that he could remember.

“Closer to eleven actually.” Phil stopped and studied Clint. “You must not get much sleep.”

“I’d probably get more if your team wouldn’t keep us so damn busy all the time.”

“I doubt that.” Phil stopped typing when his cell phone next to the laptop vibrated. He picked it up, checked the message then texted back. He set it down and continued working.

“News?”

“Not about you, if that’s why you’re asking.”

Clint knew he’d start feeling dejected if Natasha didn’t rescue his sorry ass pretty damn soon. “So, do I still get my eggs and coffee?”

“In due time.”

“If my stomach doesn’t get real food, there’s going to be a rebellion of epic proportions.”

“You don’t exaggerate much, do you?”

Clint sighed at the sarcastic comment and sulked. He finished off the cup of water and set the cup on the nightstand. He eyed the TV hanging on the wall.

“So does that work?”

Phil glanced over. “I think so.”

When the evil tax guy scientist didn’t move from his place, Clint grew exasperated. “Well? Aren’t you going to turn it on?”

Phil sighed. “I suppose you won’t give me a moment’s peace until you eat or watch TV.”

“Both would be acceptable.”

“Fine.” Phil got up, found the remote for the TV in the nightstand and handed it to Clint then left to work on breakfast. He had to admit he was getting hungry himself.

When Phil returned with two breakfasts, Clint was flipping through the channels. He gave Clint his and then sat at the chair. He began eating.

“Did you find anything to watch?”

“Not really,” Clint muttered. “Not unless you count the abomination of one of my favorite shows.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Sons of Anarchy,” Clint sighed. He gave up on the TV and picked up his fork. “Best show since The Simpsons.”

“What sort of show is that?”

Clint couldn’t believe it. “You’ve never heard of Sons of Anarchy?”

“Of course not. I’ve been busy.”

“It speaks to the great dynamic of American culture.”

“Sure it does. Why were you offended?

“They had the audacity to televise it in French of all things.”

“Audacity?”

“Russian, sure. Italian, perfect. Greek, sublime. But French? That’s just an outrage.”

“I know I’m going to be sorry for asking, but why is French an outrage and not those other languages?”

“It doesn’t mesh and it loses the impact of the drama in French. It would be like watching Captain America speak Russian.”

Phil took a sip of his coffee. “He does speak Russian.”

“What?”

“He speaks Russian, French, German, Japanese…”

“You don’t get it, Coulson. What is your favorite John Wayne film?”

“The Cowboys.”

“Perfect. Now imagine the Duke in that film speaking French.”

“Point taken.”

Clint started to take another bite of his food and then stilled. He gazed at Phil and then his eyes widened. “Oh. My. God.”

“What?”

“I don’t fucking believe it.”

“What?” Phil repeated.

“I feel like I just discovered the world’s greatest secret.”

“Barton, I’m this close…”

“You’re a fanboy.”

“What?”

“You are a bona fida Captain America all-star sparkly banner fanboy!” Clint nearly giggled. “I can’t wait to tell him that evil tax scientist guy is a fan.”

“You’re crazy.” Phil was not admitting anything.

“How do you explain knowing what languages he speaks?”

“Everyone knows that.”

Clint tilted his head. “Seriously? You’re going with that?”

“I googled.”

“Steve is going to love this when I tell him.”

“You are not telling him anything even if I have to keep you here for the rest of our lives,” Phil swore. He stole another glance at the archer. “How well do you know him?”

“I was there when he woke up.”

“You were?” Phil got to his feet. “What happened? How was he when he woke up?”

“You could ask him, you know.”

“You’re supposed to kill me,” Phil reminded Clint.

“I get a set of steak knives if I recruit you.”

Phil took a seat. “I’ll settle for my imagination. Finish eating.”

Clint kept grinning as he consumed his breakfast.

~*~

The rest of the day passed excruciatingly slow. Phil methodically checked Clint’s physical wellbeing, worked on his laptop and from time to time would send a quick text message after receiving one.

Clint was ready to go bat crazy with the boredom and he said as much to his guard.

“You probably could use a shower,” Phil offered.

“I most definitely could.” Clint raised his cuffed hand.

Phil went to a drawer, rifled through it and came back with several items. “Stand up.”

Clint did and raised his arm per Phil’s instructions. He watched as his wound was covered with gauze and then a thin plastic was taped over it. Afterwards, Phil disconnected the IV line, but kept the port in Clint’s arm. The archer no longer needed the IV, but Phil wasn’t ready to completely remove it. He covered it with plastic as well.

Phil left the room and returned with a hard-backed chair similar to what was used at the SHIELD cafeteria. After setting it in the shower stall, he returned and held out a spare set of cuffs.

“You’re starting to worry me, Coulson.”

“Slip off your boxers, please.”

“Oh, Coulson, I’m flattered.” Clint gave him a flirtatious wink as he pushed down the boxers and kicked them off with his foot. At the motion of Phil’s hand, Clint turned and then felt the second cuffs applied to his wrists.

At the release of the cuff on the bedrail, he was taken to the bathroom and seated in the chair.

“You know, I’ve managed to wash my own body without much help for several years now,” Clint informed Coulson who was turning on the shower.

“You can thank me later.” Phil grabbed the nozzle and checked the temperature of the water. “You would attempt an escape, slip on the tile and if you didn’t break your neck, I’d ruin your pristine reputation by making sure every Hydra agent knew about it.”

Once the warm water hit his skin, Clint had to resist sighing. He’d been without a shower for nearly a week. He wasn’t counting that sink bath at the train station in Sesslach. The soap spreading across his skin felt nothing short of amazing.

Clint was relieved that Phil opted not to give his more sensitive areas a thorough washing. Overall, he got a medically professional bath that even Nurse Ratchet would have been proud of.

“Lean your head back.”

Clint did and the warm water poured over his hair. He felt the cool shampoo massaged into his dirty hair and then Clint did groan. The strong deft fingers working along his scalp relaxed his muscles and Clint swore it went to his toes.

“Damn, Coulson. I think you missed your calling.”

Clint nearly opened his eyes to see if Phil was smiling. The evil tax scientist seemed to offer small grins at the drop of a hat.

He wasn’t sure how long the luxuriating scalp massage lasted, but it wasn’t long enough because Clint frowned when he heard the shower being shut off.

“Stand up.”

When he opened his eyes, Phil was approaching with a thick towel.

“Okay, this time I can manage.”

“Right. Stand up,” Phil repeated.

“I’m starting to take this personal, Coulson.” Clint stood and watched as Phil began drying him off starting with the top of his head. When he reached the wound, Phil carefully removed the thin plastic and gauze, then continued. The thorough drying had the effect of relaxing Clint’s stiff muscles. There was no denying how good he was feeling by the time Coulson finished.

Clint was led back to the bed and was ready to nod off. He said not a word as Phil slipped on his boxers, reattached his right hand to the bedrail and was laid back. By the time the sheet was pulled over him, he was fast asleep.

~*~

The following day Clint had gone through every channel on the satellite twice and even though he finally succumbed to allowing himself to get into the French dubbed ‘Sons of Anarchy’, he was growing more bored by the second. Coulson had managed to stay busy much to Clint’s jealous dismay.

It was after lunch that Phil appeared with a wooden case.

“What’s that?” Clint asked.

“I found a backgammon game. Are you on?”

Clint grinned and sat up straighter in the bed. “Am I ever.”

“Should I be suspicious that you’re this excited over something as trivial as backgammon?”

“I’m great at this game! I regularly came away with a fist full of bills.”

Phil set up the game and in moments they were matching each other move for move.

“You never did say how my bloodwork came out,” Clint said before tossing the dice.

“It was painfully boring,” Phil responded.

“Told you. No X-Gene.”

“How are you able to make those shots? I’ve seen the footage. You never miss.”

Clint kept his eyes averted as he watched Phil make his next move. “You make it when you have to.”

Phil suspected there was much more, but kept quiet.

“Maybe we should take a look at where we’re at,” Clint offered.

“Oh?” Phil already knew what he meant.

“You brought me here, patched me up, saved me from a disgusting infection and now you found out that I’m just a run-of-the-mill schmo who gets lucky from time to time. So, what’s your nefarious plan for me now, Dr. Coulson, evil scientist extraordinaire? Hang me over a tank full of bloodthirsty ravenous sharks?”

Phil snorted. “That hasn’t been original since the movie.”

“Don’t leave me in suspense.” Clint tossed the dice before moving his piece. “I’m curious to know if your intelligence matches my imagination.”

“If all you’ve come up with is a tank of ravenous sharks, I’ve no doubt my intelligence far surpasses your imagination.”

“Try me.”

Phil grinned. “You really want to go there, don’t you?”

“Come on, Doc. Impress me.”

“Okay, fine. Did you know there are 41 ways you can kill someone with a banana?”

“You seriously thought up ways to kill someone with a banana.”

“Want me to list them?”

“Tell me five.”

“Shove it down the throat, stab through the eye socket, toxic fumes can be created by bananas, a frozen banana is a deadly weapon, and of course the predictable poisoned banana.”

“Shit, Coulson. You are never meeting Natasha if I can help it. You both are too much alike.”

“There are also 8 ways you can kill someone with an iPod.”

“Alright, stop it. You win both in intelligence and imagination as far as evil villains go.”

Phil had a large smile on his face as he proceeded to blitz Clint’s checkers and easily win over the archer. “Thought you were good at this.”

“I’m just getting warmed up.” Clint narrowed his eyes. “Let’s go another round.”

By the time they finished their final game it was late. Phil closed the game just as Clint was closing his eyes. He watched him for a few moments taking in the sight. Phil liked watching him sleep.

Phil settled down on the floor and made a mental list of everything he needed to do tomorrow. He closed his eyes, sighed and let sleep overtake him.


	3. Chapter 3

It was such a simple sound that Phil couldn’t understand why it woke him. He heard it again and then pushed up from the floor. His eyes went towards the bed and he saw Clint fitfully squirming on the bed. Phil wasn’t sure if he should interrupt the dream.

Then he saw Clint’s body jerk and yank on his cuffed hand. Phil got to his feet and as he approached the archer, the nightmare appeared to be getting worse. Clint’s body was covered in sweat and he had kicked off the sheet while in its throes. Phil was worried that Clint would harm himself with the disturbing fits he was experiencing.

“Barton,” Phil said. “Wake up.”

There was no effect other than it appeared to be worsening. Clint’s jaw was clenched and he jerked his cuffed hand as if he was trying to escape. The longer Clint remained in the grip of his nightmare, the more risk to himself.

Phil stepped over and grabbed Clint’s shoulders.

“Clint, wake up!” Phil shook him. “Clint!”

When Clint’s eyes shot open, Phil attempted to calm him. “You were having a nightmare. You’re safe now.”

“Am I?”

Phil reached over and poured a glass of water. He handed it to Clint. “Sit up and drink this.”

Phil took a small towel from the bathroom and brought it back to the bed. He wiped off the perspiration.

“Want to talk about it?”

Clint swung his legs to the side of the bed and took the towel from Phil. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No one knows, do they?” Phil kept his eyes locked on Clint’s and the affirmation was there. “You should talk to someone.”

“Right.” Clint tossed the towel aside. “I’ve gone this long just fine.”

“This is why you haven’t slept well.” Phil folded his arms.

“What does it matter? My life doesn’t accommodate for good sleeping habits.”

Phil got the chair in the corner of the room and sat it in front of Clint. He sat and crossed his legs. “Tell me about it.”

“What?”

“Your nightmare, Barton. Tell me about it and perhaps it will help prevent it from occurring again.”

“How would you know that?”

“It’s not my area of expertise, but I’m assuming it might make it less likely to happen in the future. What do you think?”

“Is this some kind of trick?”

“Yes, Barton. I want you to open up about your nightmares so I can use them as punchlines at the next supervillain Christmas party.”

“I knew you were a sick bastard, Coulson.” Clint took a deep breath, settled more comfortably on the bed. “How much do you know about me before I joined SHIELD?”

“You were in the circus, got involved with a criminal element and was subsequently sent to prison.”

“And here I thought Hydra was more thorough.”

“Hydra isn’t known for its deep background investigations.”

“When I was seven my parents were killed after a night of partying. My older brother and I were sent to a group home. When we found out they were splitting us up for foster care, we ran away. That’s how we wound up in a circus.”

“Hence your incredible skills.”

“I hit everything I aimed at. Everyone raved at how good I was. It was mostly because if I missed, I starved. If you’re hungry enough, you’ll hit every fucking target. Barney didn’t take it too well.”

“Not getting the center ring, so to speak.”

“While I was going hungry and getting whipped with a bow across my back, he was busy learning a different trade. The stands were prime for guys like my brother. He earned extra money on the side with a little pick-pocketing.”

“What happened?”

Clint lowered his eyes as he remembered. “He got tied in with Swordsman, one of the acts that wasn’t bringing in the crowds like it used to. The police were closing in on them and they broke into the trailer, stole what cash they could. I found them.” He took another deep breath and continued. “I told Barney to take the money back before anyone found it missing.”

“How old were you?”

“Seventeen. I’d never seen him so pissed. He called me ungrateful. Said that I’d be nowhere if it weren’t for him.” Clint’s laugh was bitter. “He wasn’t the one getting bloody noses for missing a target.”

“Clint…”

“I never heard Swordsman coming up behind me. I woke up in a hospital and cops were telling me that I was under arrest. They wanted to know where the money was and it’d go easy on me. I never did.”

“He was your brother.”

Clint nodded. “He was my brother. I couldn’t do it. Since I was close to 18, they treated me as an adult and I got a five year sentence. Director Fury came along, offered me a deal and I took it.”

“Your nightmare was when your brother turned on you.”

“They left me for dead. I haven’t seen Barney since that night.”

“Have you considered looking for him? You have access to the resources to locate him.”

“For what reason? So, he can tell me how I let him down and didn’t help him when it counted? No thanks.”

“Closure, maybe. You never settled things with your brother.”

“And maybe I have them because two guys bigger than me beat me within an inch of my life.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

Clint straightened on the bed and turned on his side to face Phil. “I haven’t looked for Barney because I don’t want to know what happened to him. I don’t want my worst fears realized and then maybe I really did fail him.”

“You tried to do the right thing. How do you think you failed him?”

“Barney was always a dreamer. He would come up with schemes in how best to hit it big and then it’d be me and him living the good life. I’m a pragmatist. Schemes usually never pay off. It’s like aiming at a target. You have to know every possible variable to determine exactly where the arrow will land. I always knew and Barney hated that. Don’t you think I’ve examined all of the variables in regards to my older and stupider brother?”

“Because you knew nothing you said or did would change the path he was already on.”

“Exactly. I’m pretty sure he is still alive and it’s likely that if he isn’t serving time somewhere, then he’s well on his way. Besides, if he was dead Fury would tell me. He knows Barney will always be my blind spot.”

“You’d still help him if he showed up at your door.”

“In a heartbeat…unless it requires me breaking the law for him. Barney knows better now.”

“You’ve got it all figured out.”

“Pretty much.”

“Except for the nightmare.”

“Not my area of expertise, either,” Clint smirked.

“It wasn’t the beating,” Phil realized. He leaned forward and looked at Clint squarely in the eyes. “Your brother abandoned you.”

Clint leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “Nothing will ever take that pain away. Finding him won’t.”

“You’re not disagreeing with me.”

“I’m not one to ignore a plain truth. Practicality ought to be a superpower.”

Phil got up from the chair. “Let’s change those sheets.”

Clint sat up and watched him head to the closet. “You know, it occurred to me that you haven’t billed me.”

“What?” Phil found the sheets at the top of the closet.

“You’ve been my physician, surgeon and now therapist. That alone has got to be at least worth a few Benjamins.”

Phil returned with the sheets and set them aside as Clint slide off the bed. He pulled the others off the mattress.

Clint folded his arms as he studied Phil. “Maybe we should turn the tables.”

“Grab that corner,” Phil told him.

“At least I’d get some of what I owe you off my back.” Clint did as Phil instructed and slid it over the mattress.

“What are you talking about, Barton?”

Clint helped finish off the sheet and moved back onto the bed. “I’m talking about you.”

Phil opened the top sheet and let it fall on Clint as he moved to the foot of the bed. He stuffed the end under the mattress. “It’s late. You need to get some rest.”

“I know more about you than you ever did about me.”

Phil grabbed the dirty sheets and tossed them in a corner.

“I know about Emily.”

Phil froze. “I’m not having nightmares.”

“No, but you are working for the most fucking evil thing on this planet.”

“This is not your business.” Phil went to his pillow and sat on the floor. “I’m not discussing it with you.”

Clint was never one to give in easy. “She was diagnosed with a rare cancer during your residency. Being the most brilliant doctor in Harvard Medical meant you could write your own ticket. Instead, you lobbied for a research position after your residency with a prestigious, yet money hungry, pharmaceutical thinking that would give Emily first shot at a possible cure.”

“It’s called an orphan disease,” Phil told him. “There is such a small percentage of the population with rare diseases that it’s too cost prohibitive to even research. There are fewer physicians willing to treat orphan diseases because of the lack of support. Emily fell between the cracks of the Orphan Drug Act. Her case was that rare.”

“How rare?”

“Of that particular cancer, a dozen out of 350 million. Four of them, including Emily, were a group of girls who stayed at a friend’s house. If it involved more it would have been considered a cancer cluster.”

“That’s fucking incredulous, Coulson.”

Phil propped his elbow on a bent knee and rubbed his eyes. “The father of one of the girls was a research scientist for SHIELD. He accidentally carried home a small contaminated piece of equipment.”

“What happened?”

“It’s funny how something so minor can cause the most damage.”

“Phil…”

“Four of the girls were menstruating. The best guess is they were anemic. Their low blood count made them unusually susceptible to the irradiated piece.” Phil sighed before continuing. “When it became apparent the pharmaceutical wasn’t willing to back my research, I was approached by an executive who was sympathetic with my plight. He suggested a privately funded company that would put up the money if I would also produce results for them in certain areas where they knew I excelled.”

“So, you went Hydra in order to save your sister.”

“Only, I never did. She died along with every single person who was contaminated by that radiation.”

“You stayed with Hydra to get back at SHIELD?”

“No, no,” Phil said feeling more tired than ever. “You didn’t ask where the radiation came from.”

“Where?”

“Not from here.”

“Here?”

“This planet, Barton. There is nothing like it anywhere on Earth and when I realized it, I went to SHIELD thinking that if they could allow me access to their research, I could blend it with mine and at the very least prevent what was happening to Emily…had happened, I mean. She died by the time I realized it.”

“They turned you down.”

“Worse. They denied any of it ever existed. I had made significant progress, but there were gaps in the research. I needed what SHIELD had. I stayed with Hydra because I could continue my research in orphan diseases with unlimited resources and get my hands on SHIELD research through less than respectable means.”

“And you give them whatever they fucking want, Coulson. What did you do for Hydra to give them a leg up in this fight?”

Phil shot to his feet. “Who the hell do you think you are, Barton? Do you think you’re better than me? Do you think SHIELD’s hands are bloodless? Yours?”

“At least I’m not out to take over the fucking world!”

“You’re too busy trying to save a world that doesn’t want to be saved! You could be saving your brother right now. Maybe he’s taken the path that he’s on because no one offered him any other option. Maybe that’s what you should be doing rather than calculating variables as if he’s an arrow in your fucking quiver!”

“Fuck you, Coulson!”

“No, fuck you, Barton! Emily is dead. My chances with her are gone. Your brother is still alive!”

Clint buried his head in his hands as Phil stormed from the room.

~*~

Clint slept little through the remainder of the night. He shouldn’t have pushed Coulson the way he did. Not because he was his captor, but because Coulson was a decent person no matter where he was at in life. Clint needed to apologize and let him know he understood. Coulson was right. He was in no position to pass judgment. Clint had more than enough blood on his own hands. Maybe tracking down Barney wasn’t a bad idea after all.

Morning finally arrived and Phil entered with toast, oatmeal and milk.

“You were right, Coulson,” Clint told him. “I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t an easy night for either of us.” Phil put the tray on Clint’s lap. “Considering the situation it’s probably not a safe subject to discuss.”

Even though Clint would have done anything to talk Coulson into walking away from Hydra, he knew that pushing it anymore would be a colossal mistake at this point.

“Think we could make up with a good game of backgammon?” Clint asked.

“I would never have thought of make-up backgammon.”

Clint grinned and dived into his breakfast.

~*~

By day six, Clint and Phil had settled into a routine of sorts. They spent their mornings together, eating breakfast, talking, cleaning up and if Phil didn’t have too much research, a few backgammon games were played.

The afternoons were spent separately with Phil working in his lab and Clint reading in addition to watching TV. He was driving Phil crazy with his analysis of the French dubbed Sons of Anarchy and it spoke to the ever widening gaps of worldwide cultures.

Finally, Phil took the remote away and shut off the TV.

“It’s time to remove your sutures.”

“Good. They itch and I hate that plastic.”

“I’m removing them and your port.”

Clint watched as Phil expertly removed the port from his arm. He shifted to his side and he nearly froze at feeling Phil’s fingertips on his skin. It was strange. This wasn’t the first time Phil had put his hands on Clint. However, it was the first time that Clint noticed the gentle touch of the warm fingertips. It was soothing. Clint closed his eyes while Phil worked. He barely felt the removal of each stitch.

When he heard Phil walk away, Clint raised his head and checked out his wound. It was scabbing and still red. He was surprised at how small it looked without the sutures.

Phil returned with plastic strips.

“What’s that?”

“This will keep your wound closed as it heals. They’ll come off on their own and by the time they do, you will be fully mended.”

“It looks small.”

Phil’s face filled with pride. “You can thank my mother. She was an expert in stitchery. She was very insistent that Emily and I learn her technique should the need arise.”

“Was she a doctor, too?”

“No, she stayed home. Dad was a postal worker.”

Phil finished and stepped back. “Ready for a shower?”

“Yeah,” Clint answered. He wasn’t actually. He could still feel Phil’s warm fingertips moving across his skin. That was foremost in his mind as he was walked to the shower in the usual fashion.

Once in the chair, the warm water traced over his skin as Phil held the nozzle over him. After lathering up the washcloth, Phil began to wash Clint starting with his shoulders. Clint had to steady his breathing as he felt Phil’s hands trailing along his biceps. The thick lather trailed over his chest, around his nipples down to his cock. It twitched in approval and Clint swallowed the heavy lump in his throat.

Clint shifted slightly in the chair and he pulled at his hands cuffed behind his back. He was getting turned on by the soothing warm soapy washcloth moving across his chest. Clint could feel his nipples hardening and he wanted to look up at Phil to see if he was affected as much as he was at this moment.

He leaned his head back as Phil worked the cloth along his thighs, to his knees down his calves. The silence felt awkward with Clint’s desire starting to grow.  Before he knew it, he felt Phil’s presence behind him and the soothing water was running through his hair. He closed his eyes as Phil’s fingers blended into his hair.

The massage of his scalp began and Clint nearly groaned. It was more sensual than the last time and he was beginning to squirm. Inwardly, Clint begged Phil to kiss him. He wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on his mouth, along his neck, down his chest…

Clint swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He was sure Phil was going to make a move. He wanted this and waited impatiently for it to happen. The hands were confident, soothing and so fucking good. Clint needed Phil now.

Then the water was shut off and Clint’s eyes shot open. Phil helped him to his feet and began toweling him dry.

That was when it occurred to Clint Phil would never make the first move. Not in a situation like this. Phil was the captor and Clint was the prisoner. His hands cuffed behind his back and oh, how fucking was he turned on by that. Clint didn’t have to close his eyes to imagine Phil taking him from behind with his hands cuffed. What a fucking turn on that was.

Clint forced his attention back to the man who was rubbing his chest with the thick towel. No way was this going to end with Phil sleeping on the floor tonight. Clint was adamant. He’d seen the glances from Phil. There was want behind those veiled eyes.

After he was guided back to the bed, Clint’s hands were uncuffed and then his right hand was attached to the bedrail. Then before Phil could move away, Clint grabbed him by the arm, pulled him close and planted his mouth on Phil’s.

The man was so stunned that it gave Clint the perfect opportunity to push his tongue inside. The warm heat of it made him groan with want. He pulled back just enough to whisper in Phil’s mouth. “You want me. I know it.”

“Clint,” Phil breathed.

“Please don’t fucking pull away from me.”

Clint leaned in and moved his lips over Phil’s, ran his tongue over Phil’s teeth and then pushed it in farther wanting to explore every bit of this incredible man. A thrill ran through him when Phil’s hands went from his shoulders, traced the contours of his back and then stopped at Clint’s ass. He moaned his approval.

When Clint was pushed back against the bed, he plopped down on it with a grin. He was delightfully naked and his skin felt hypersensitive all over adding to his longing. Watching Phil undress made his dick stand at attention in record time. Clint ridiculously wanted to congratulate it. He nearly laughed at himself.

“Do you have any idea how fucking beautiful you are?” Phil said as he reached for Clint. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”

Phil’s body stretched across his own and Clint brought his hands to the lean form only to realize that one remained cuffed. When he saw that Phil was moving to uncuff it, he stilled him.

“No, don’t.”

Their eyes locked. Clint needed the illusion to be real. He was still a prisoner. Freeing him meant that the part of his brain that remembered he was still a SHIELD agent would order him to escape. Keeping the handcuff on would insure that at least for now, Phil was still his captor and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Phil seemed to understand as he lowered his head and kissed Clint. He settled his hips on Clint’s and it didn’t take long for the erections to rub against each other. Their moans, breaths and urgency was growing much quicker than either of them had anticipated.

Clint was breathing heavy when Phil broke the kiss and took his mouth to the archer’s nipple. He groaned feeling the teeth toy with his desire and tease it until it hardened.

“Fuck!”

He felt Phil’s chuckle against his skin and raised his head as the Hydra scientist worked his way down. When Phil had a hold of Clint’s heavy cock, he thought he had died an erotic death and the heat made him push his hips upward in response.

The mouth on Clint’s dick knew what it was doing and goddamn it if it didn’t do its job well. Clint was panting Phil’s name, begging, rocking his hips wanting to push his cock inside of Phil as far as it would go.

“Damn it, Phil, I’m gonna come!”

Phil’s snicker was low, dirty and laced with feverish need. “I bet you do.”

Much to Clint’s dismay, Phil got off the bed and went to the dresser.

“What are you doing?”

Phil searched his wallet, then held up his find. “This.”

At seeing the wrapped condom, Clint grinned. “Can you be any more normal? Tell me that hasn’t been stuffed in your wallet since high school.”

“Hardly.” Phil found the KY and hurried back to bed.

Clint breathed a sigh of pleasure when Phil returned to his previous position near his cock.

“You have a beautiful dick,” Phil complimented.

“Take a picture with your phone so you’ll always have it,” Clint said with a lewd smirk.

“I might.”

Clint watched Phil cover his fingers with KY and then felt them prod at his opening. He widened his legs in response. Then he nearly came off the bed when Phil took his cock in his mouth at the same time.

“Fuck, Phil!” Clint hollered.

His cock was released with a plop and Clint writhed needing more from him. He ground his ass into the fingers working him open.

“Easy, babe,” Phil ordered in a low voice. “Let me do the work here. You’ll open that wound if you move too much.”

“My dick has other ideas.”

“Let’s see what we can do about that.”

After Phil moved up his body, Clint watched with fascination as his new lover applied the condom. He couldn’t resist taking hold of Phil’s erection and pumping on it a few times. Seeing the ecstatic pleasure lighten up his face, Clint knew he had fallen hard for Phil Coulson.

“I’m ready for you,” Clint told him.

Phil positioned himself at Clint’s hole and pushed. Both men keened in response to the erotic torture and moved in anticipation for more. Once Phil was seated deep inside of Clint, he took hold of his free hand.

“You’re fucking beautiful,” Phil breathed. “Fucking amazing.”

“God, Phil. Now, please, now!”

Phil tried to go easy not forgetting the healing wound, but it was excruciatingly difficult. His cock was sheathed in velvet tightness and it fit so perfectly, exquisitely inside of Clint.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Phil groaned and he rolled his hips just so. The stunning display of need on Clint’s face was nearly his undoing.

“I’ll hurt a hell of a lot more if you don’t fuck me right now.”

Clint moved in response and Phil met each one with a thrust of his own. The snug fit of Phil’s cock inside of Clint was enough to drive them in decadent pleasure, both giving and taking at an ever-growing frenzied pace.

It was Clint who came first and as he yelled through his orgasm, Phil looked down to see white steams of cum land on Clint’s belly. Only caring about finding his own climax, Phil reached in with his free hand, scooped it up with his finger and put it to Clint’s mouth.

Phil nearly came as Clint greedily sucked his finger and he drove hard into the body beneath him. Just as he was about to orgasm, Phil leaned in and mouthed Clint’s lips. After tasting Clint on his tongue, Phil exploded inside of him and humped through the climax until there was nothing left inside of him.

When Phil was about to move off him, Clint held tight to him. “Stay inside me.”

Phil rested his head on Clint’s shoulder. “God, that was…”

“I know. Me, too.”

After a few minutes, Phil eased out of Clint and rolled to his back.

“We…you…I never…” Phil couldn’t find the words to express the intensity of the sex they had just experience.

Clint grabbed the bath towel off the floor and after wiping his stomach, he did the same for Phil who had removed and disposed of the condom.

“Roll on your side,” Phil told him. He scooted in behind Clint. “I’m wiped out.”

“I won’t be able to have sex for at least another two hours.”

Phil pulled Clint closer. “I hope I’m up for it.”

As they relished in the afterglow of the over-the-top sexual intensity, Phil and Clint’s legs tangled together. They were soon fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another couple of days and I'll have this finished. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Oh, and I have no idea if a French dubbed Sons of Anarchy exists.


	4. Chapter 4

_“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man.”_

Clint opened his eyes looking around the room at who was speaking.

_“Steve Austin will be that man.”_

It was Phil’s phone sitting on his laptop across the room. When the music started, Clint nudged Phil who hurried from the bed and picked it up. His eyes seemed to widen when he saw who was calling.

Clint never got a word out because Phil was hurrying out of the room, snatching up his shorts along the way. After the door slammed behind Phil, Clint slid out of bed and picked up his boxers. He managed to get them on and a few minutes later Phil was back.

“Evil scientist guy with a Six Million Dollar Man ringtone.” Clint shook his head. “I heard rumors SHIELD was consulting on that show back in the day.”

He stilled when he saw the stoic alarm in Phil’s eyes. “What is it?”

“Have you ever heard of Ivan Stoloff?”

Clint sat on the edge of the bed and did his level best to keep calm. “He’s suspected in the murder of 14 SHIELD agents.”

“He’s on his way here, right now.”

“He knows about me.”

Phil nodded. “They downloaded the video feed from the flash drives on the cameras and saw that I had taken you out of there.”

“And they know we’re here…how?”

“GPS tracking in the navigation. I never had a chance to disable it. Hydra has the frequencies.”

“How soon?”

“He’ll be here in an hour.”

“An hour? Isn’t that kind of short notice?”

“It’s how Stoloff works. Keeps everyone on their toes. He lives on his plane 24/7.”

Clint finally stood. “Let me go, Phil. I can’t be here when he arrives.”

“There’s no place to hide on this island.”

“I’ll take the fucking plane.”

“You’ll be shot down over open water, Clint. They’ll kill you.”

“They’ll kill me either way. At least give me a chance.”

“Stoloff won’t likely be here that long.” Phil took a t-shirt from the dresser and went to Clint. He unlocked the cuff so that Clint could wear it. “I can use my influence to convince him that I brought you here for scientific study.”

Once Clint had the shirt on, Phil was already cuffing him to the bedrail. “You think he’ll buy that.”

“Your chances are better if I can argue a case for my keeping you. After he’s gone, I’ll get you off the island and you can return to SHIELD.”

“Phil, maybe we can…,” Clint began.

“Clint, I’m too deep into Hydra to ever consider leaving them.”

Clint said nothing as Phil cuffed his left hand to the other rail. He watched while Phil cleaned up the evidence of their night together. He was numb inside and wondered if he had been delusional in thinking that the outside couldn’t intrude on them. His relationship with Phil was just about to come undone and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop it.

~*~

It was just over an hour later when the bedroom door opened and four men entered with Phil leading. Clint averted his eyes when he saw Phil wearing his lab coat. It was as if their time together had been wiped away

The largest of the men came forward. His thin hair and thick black eyebrows seemed to add to the malevolence in his eyes. The thick hands appeared powerful and he walked around the bed studying Clint while the two remaining took position at the door.

“Agent Clint Barton,” Stoloff stated with a furious smile. The angles in his face grew sharper. “What an honor it is to meet the great Hawkeye. You’ve caused much trouble for us.”

“It’s a gift.”

“Ha!” He turned to Phil. “Do you know who you have here, Dr. Coulson? This man has destroyed entire Hydra bases.”

“Has he?” Phil answered. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.

“Agent Barton possesses much information. It’s said, he has the ear of Nick Fury, director of SHIELD.”

“People like to exaggerate,” Clint shot off.

“I think not.” Stoloff took out a thick cigar and a match.

“Commander Stoloff,” Phil said. “I’d prefer you not to smoke. The equipment here is sensitive and it could disrupt my experiments.”

“Of course, Doctor. Hydra values your work immensely.” Stoloff put them away. “This Agent Barton has extensive knowledge of fellow agents, current operations and spies within Hydra. He knows of SHIELD secret installations as well.”

“I’m not telling you a fucking thing, you piece of shit.”

“Such rudeness.” Stoloff leaned over Clint and placed a beefy hand on his throat. With his other, he used his fingers to dig into the bullet wound in the archer’s side.

As the agonizing pain shot through his wound from the sharp pressure being applied, Clint struggled for air and twisted to break free. With his hands cuffed, there was no stopping Stoloff from inflicting as much torture as he could.

“Commander Stoloff,” Phil said stepping forward. “I’d rather you not undo the work I’ve done to keep this man alive. His internal bleeding could resume and we’d lose him before he’s had a chance to talk.”

Clint had nearly passed out from the loss of oxygen and the excruciating agony in his side. Stoloff released him and Clint took deep breaths trying to get his head together.

“As you can see, Agent Barton, I enjoy inflicting pain. Perhaps, that will come later. For now, Dr. Coulson is going to use a cocktail of drugs that he created which will guarantee you will tell us everything you know. Hydra has learned a great deal about SHIELD through this method. No one has ever been able to withhold the information we seek.” Stoloff had a mean grin on his face. “Is this not true, Dr. Coulson?”

“You are correct, sir.”

Now, Clint was afraid. He’d been trained to withstand a variety of drugs for interrogation purposes. He’d heard of this cocktail, but SHIELD had never been able to get their hands on it. Clint was already doubting that he could keep silent.

“When we have extracted all we need from you, then you will be the first of many to be trained to work for Hydra.”

“In your fucking dreams, asshole. I’d rather be dead.”

“If it fails, you will be dead, Agent Barton. You will undergo a procedure for a mechanical eye which will provide your handlers with a video feed. You will be given instructions to follow and you will do so because you will be conditioned to obey. If you do not or you are compromised, a micro-detonator implanted in the core of the device will be discharged. You will experience a few seconds of electric shock before you die.”

“Sir,” Phil interjected. “I haven’t completed testing.”

Stoloff smile widened even further. “Agent Barton has volunteered to be the first test subject.”

As Stoloff exited the room, Clint dared to look at Phil and saw that he was unable to do the same.

~*~

Phil followed Stoloff and his men to the living room where his lab was set up. He stopped in the middle and faced the Hydra commander.

“Commander Stoloff, as soon as Barton tells what he knows I’ll relay everything directly to you and then I’ll begin the procedure to implant the eye device. I’ll also need additional equipment as well.”

“I am not leaving, Dr. Coulson.”

Phil carefully hid his alarm at the news. “You do realize that the interrogation and procedures will take days. I’m not even sure if we have the time available on this island.”

“I’ve handled the matter of the island, Doctor. You will be able to work uninterrupted for as long as you require. Agent Barton is too valuable. I will personally oversee his interrogation and his conditioning until he serves only Hydra.”

“It’s risky,” Phil explained. “There is no guarantee the procedure or the conditioning will work. The technology…”

“I don’t like you, Dr. Coulson,” Stoloff interrupted. “I do not trust those who are more intelligent than myself. I think they know more than what they say.”

“I’ve been with Hydra for nearly 9 years, Commander,” Phil told him. “No one has ever doubted my loyalty or my resolve.”

“Yes.”

Looking at Stoloff, Phil realized those reasons he just gave was enough to raise suspicions. He had went along and blended in only too well. It was also a guarantee that he would never be able to break away from the organization. Both he and Stoloff knew it. The only thing keeping him alive was his scientific knowhow.

“Send one of them,” Stoloff said with a nod towards one of his men, “when Barton is ready for questioning.”

Phil’s eyes never left Stoloff’s retreating back. Then he went to one of the cabinets and began his preparations. After he gathered the necessary supplies, Phil started down the hallway and stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. One of Stoloff’s men was coming with him. It seemed pointless to question him.

Phil entered the room and set the items on the stand next to the bed. Clint wasn’t looking at him.

“Please wait outside,” Phil instructed Stoloff’s man. “I’ll let you know if I need assistance.”

The Hydra agent hesitated, then did as Phil instructed.

“You lied to Stoloff,” Clint said when they were alone. He turned his head and watched as Phil readied the cocktail in an IV bag. “You think it’ll make a difference to me?”

“Lying about the internal bleeding was the only way he would stop,” Phil explained. “You’re too valuable to further injure.”

“I bet,” Clint bit out. “You’re going to drug me, make me reveal SHIELD intelligence and then turn me into a fucking Hydra drone.”

Phil tightened his mouth together and continued about his task. There was no reason to argue with Clint at this point. He had another agenda and he needed to focus on that.

“Tell me something, Phil. If you had saved Emily’s life when you first started working for Hydra, would you have stayed?” Clint turned his head away from Phil as he worked. “What would she say if she saw you now?”

After the IV bag was hung, Phil went to the bed. “I need to start an IV.”

“Is your fucking soul worth selling me out to them?”

“Clint…”

“Fuck off.”

Phil walked around the bed, to the door and opened it. “Come in here.”

The Hydra agent followed and Phil went to Clint’s bedside. “His right hand needs cuffed across the rail so I can start an IV.”

Much to Clint’s dismay, Phil handed the man the key. As soon as he was uncuffed, Clint struck out, but was easily grabbed. He fought the grip, but his arm was forced to the outside of the rail and the cuff snapped in place which gave Phil the vein access he needed.

“Leave,” Phil ordered.

After he was gone, Phil was able to start the IV. He used more tape than usual to keep the cannula and tubing from being dislodged.

“I hate you,” Clint said not hiding the tightness in his voice. “I fucking hate you.”

“I know.” Phil released the clamp and the fluid began flowing into Clint’s veins. “This will take about 15 to 20 minutes to take effect. I’ll be asking you control questions to determine efficacy.”

“I’ll repeat myself. Fuck. Off.” Clint jerked at his cuffs. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“You will.”

Phil crossed the room and retrieved his laptop. He set it close by and brought up the intelligence file on Clint. He went to the door and opened it. The Hydra agent turned.

“It’ll be at least half an hour before he’s ready to answer questions. There’s beer in the refrigerator. You both are welcome to it.”

The Hydra agent was taken aback, but pleased. “Thanks. I’ll do that. You’ll be okay with him?”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Phil assured him.

Phil closed the door and went back to the laptop. He took another glance at Clint who had the look of refusal. Rather than try to speak to him, Phil turned his attention to the file on the computer.

It was ten minutes later that Phil decided to begin with the control questions.

“What type of bow is your preferred weapon of choice?”

“Should be in the file you’re reading.”

_Not long enough_ , Phil thought. He sorted through more files looking for a more personal question. “Where did you meet Natasha Romanov?”

Nothing. Phil waited nearly five minutes.

“Where did you meet Natasha Romanov?”

Clint began shifting in the bed. Phil’s eyes went to him and he could see the medication was beginning to take effect. Clint would feel the high of the drugs soon.

“Where did you meet Natasha Romanov?”

“Damn it, what’d you do to me?” Clint eyes closed and his mouth tightened.

“Where did you meet Natasha Romanov?”

“Belarus.” Clint breathed heavily. “Fuck!”

“Don’t try to fight it, Clint. Relax.”

“Shut up.”

“Do you trust Nick Fury?”

Hesitation. “Yes.” A breath. “No.”

Phil looked at him. “How much do you trust Nick Fury?”

“He-he will always do the right thing unless…”

Clint was struggling. Phil saw that Clint’s stubbornness was doing a decent job of fighting the drugs. He debated on increasing the dosage.

“Unless what?”

“If protecting SHIELD or innocent people trumps everything, he’ll fucking lie through his teeth and manipulate like a fucking chess game.”

“He has a lot to protect.”

“Yeah, but he’ll go to the mat for anyone who’s worth it. Leaving anyone behind is not in his nature.”

“What was the best outcome of any of your SHIELD missions?”

Clint’s mouth was dry and he licked his lips. “Belgrade. Rescued 14 children from an abandoned hotel.”

“What was the worst outcome?”

That was when Clint closed his eyes. The pain of it was etched across his face as if he was battling a nightmare. “Same mission. It was an international child pornography ring. Tasha and I killed every one of those fuckers and then found the evidence. We burned the place to the ground after getting the kids out.”

One last question and Phil needed this more than ever. “Do you really hate me?”

Refusing to look at Phil, he answered, “Yes, I hate you. I love you, too.”

That was all Phil needed to hear. He removed the IV, applied a Band-Aid over the site and unlocked the handcuff. He leaned in close to Clint and framed his face with his hands.

“Clint, it’ll take a few minutes for the drugs to start wearing off. I need you to focus.”

“Get away.”

Phil released him and left the bedroom. In the kitchen, the Hydra agents were drinking their beer and eating sandwiches.

“I’ll need another 15 minutes. He’s still resisting.”

One of them nodded and Phil was waved off. He breathed a sigh of relief and poured a cup of coffee. Phil headed back to the bedroom and unlocked Clint’s left hand until he was free. He pulled on Clint until he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Clint, listen to me right now.”

“Goddamn, my head.” Clint was feeling the drugs slowly wearing off and his head was rocking.

Phil put the coffee cup to Clint’s lips. “Drink this. Caffeine will help you get your head together.”

He watched the archer sip the hot liquid.

“We have to get out of here and there isn’t much time. Stoloff won’t wait. You need to concentrate.”

Clint took the cup and drank more. “Why did you do that to me?”

“Please, Clint, can you move?”

“Yeah, I think so. Just give me a minute.” He was starting to think more clearly.

While Clint held his head and drank the coffee, Phil went to the dresser and found Clint’s black cargos. He grabbed the boots from the closet.

Phil set the items on the bed next to Clint. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. You said ‘we’.”

After taking the nearly empty cup, Phil said, “Can you get us out?”

“Where are they?” Clint got to his feet and took hold of his pants.

“Two are in the kitchen. Stoloff is on his private jet.”

Clint began dressing. “What are they doing? Sitting?”

“Yes, eating sandwiches and drinking beer.”

“Beer? Hydra’s got some lax regulations regarding drinking on duty, I take it.”

“It’s an incentive,” Phil replied with a small shrug.

Clint grabbed one of his boots. “I need a gun.”

“The only one I have is in the living room, the lab.”

“Fucking fantastic,” Clint muttered. He flipped over his boot, detached the heel and removed a knife. After replacing the heel, he began putting it on his foot. “We’ve got two planes to choose from.”

“Stoloff’s jet is faster and more fuel efficient than the other.”

“I’d love to deliver that son of a bitch to Fury as an early Christmas present.”

Phil watched him finish lacing his boots and stand. “Are you up for this?”

“Are you? Once we leave here we’re headed for SHIELD.”

“There’s no other choice.”

Clint went to the door and cracked it open. He saw an empty hallway, then looked over his shoulder. “Stay behind me.”

Phil was about to move forward when he remembered he was wearing his lab coat. He slipped it off and tossed it on the bed, then moved in behind Clint who was already easing into the hallway. With more stealth than Clint thought he was capable of while his mind was still a bit muddled, he moved steadily keeping in mind that Phil was close behind.

Just before getting to the kitchen, Clint stilled for half a second, readied his knife and then stepped away from Phil.

Before the Hydra agents had a chance to move, Clint grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it over knocking one back. He slashed at the other who hadn’t had a chance to get out of his seat. The blood poured from the neck and he was on the floor instantly. Clint got to the one who was still trying to get to his feet and snapped his neck without hesitation.

Phil was stunned at the sight. “Wow! You’re…”

Clint grabbed a gun from one of the dead agent’s holster and pulled Phil with him away from the carnage.

“Be amazed later. Let’s go.”

They got to the front door and Clint was glad to see the sun finally. He blinked to get used to the brightness.

“Where are the planes?”

“Behind the cottage several yards away.”

“Is there any cover?”

“Not much,” Phil said.

“Okay, here’s the plan. I’ll follow you and keep hidden for as long as I can. Once we get close to the airstrip, you’ll have to get on the plane and talk to Stoloff. Keep him preoccupied so I can move closer to the plane. Buy me a minute and then get him off the plane. I need him out in the open. It’ll be easier to take him out.”

“You’re going to kill him.”

“Phil, does Stoloff strike you as the kind of man that will allow himself to be taken prisoner?”

“Point taken.”

“Even if I could bring him in, Fury might have to make a deal with him in order to get Intel.”

“Fury would let him go?”

“No, but the WSC might. Stoloff’s too dangerous to be let loose.” Clint slid the magazine out of the weapon. Satisfied with the amount of ammo, he snapped it back in place. Then loaded one in the chamber. “Ready?”

“Yes.” Phil wanted to kiss Clint, but he was sure their relationship had gotten past the point of no return.

When Clint walked out the door, Phil followed.


	5. Chapter 5

Phil couldn’t remember ever feeling so self-conscious as he crossed the field and walked onto the tarmac where the jet sat. He resisted the urge to look behind him to make sure that Clint was there, but he knew the archer had taken position just out of sight hidden behind a tree.

He climbed the stairs and with each step, his heart pounded a little faster. This was insane. He wasn’t an agent and had no experience in this sort of endeavor. Phil was just a scientist, a doctor. Taking a deep breath, Phil stepped inside the plane and found himself not in the luxurious private plane he expected.

This was a technological marvel with computers, radars and other instruments that he couldn’t begin to guess what they were. Stoloff sat at a console and seemed surprised at his appearance.

“Doctor,” Stoloff said getting to his feet. “How is your progress?”

“Slow,” Phil answered. He hid his nervous hands in his pants pockets. “I lowered the dosage of the drug cocktail to adjust for the length of questioning that will be required.”

Stoloff appeared confused. “Explain.”

“The drug cocktail is a powerful combination. The longer it’s used, the efficacy deteriorates. In order to get as much out of Barton as possible, the dosage was lowered in order to extend the interrogation process.”

“Your previous reports never mentioned such a thing.”

Phil’s breath hitched for a micro-second. Then he found his voice. “I’ve only recently become aware of it.”

Knowing that Clint would soon be crossing the tarmac, Phil moved so that Stoloff’s back was to the window.

“Until I can correct it, this is the best option at this point. Keeping him under the influence of the drug any longer could have damaging consequences.”

Stoloff appeared to mull over his words. Phil never saw the fist coming and then he was on the floor. Pain exploded along his jaw and he could taste the blood in his mouth. He was jerked to his feet and a gun was shoved under his chin.

“You think I’m a fool, Coulson?” Stoloff dragged him towards the opening of the plane. “The moment you stepped onto the plane, you gave yourself away.”

Phil stood at the doorway at the top of the stairs of the plane and he scanned the area for Clint, desperate to get one more glimpse of him before he died. He just had to see him one more time. The wild thought entered his head that maybe Clint had seen what was happening and opted to find another way off the island.

“Where are my men?”

“Dead.” Phil didn’t care if he lived or died as long as Clint survived.

“Come out, Agent Barton!” Stoloff yelled. “I will not hesitate to put a bullet in the good doctor’s head!”

A minute later, Clint stepped out with his hands exposed as proof he was unarmed. Phil could feel Stoloff’s breath on his skin and the gun pressed further into his jaw.

When Clint was several feet from the plane, Stoloff said, “That’s far enough. Dispose of your weapon.”

Clint didn’t move for a moment.

Stoloff jerked at Coulson and cocked the hammer to show his resolve. “A man such as yourself would not have left himself weaponless. Now, Agent Barton.”

Phil watched as Clint slowly took the gun from the back of his pants and then eased down to set it on the ground. The archer then removed the knife from his boot and placed it next to the weapon.

Stoloff pushed Phil and they both stepped off the plane.

“Back away,” Stoloff ordered which Clint followed by taking three steps back.

When they were on the tarmac, Stoloff’s malicious grin widened as he aimed his gun at Clint.

“I would have greatly enjoyed have you working for me, but since that possibility no longer exists, I will settle for your death instead.”

It was gut instinct that propelled Phil to act. He elbowed Stoloff in the gut as hard as he could then shoved him down. Just as Clint attacked, Phil stumbled back and fell to his butt. He watched as Clint attacked without prejudice.

Rather than the easy takedown of the Hydra agents, Stoloff proved himself an agile fighter as he jumped to his feet. While it was less than a minute, the fight seemed to last an eternity in Phil’s eyes. Clint had taken several hard hits already and was beginning to struggle against Stoloff.

Phil used the opportunity to inch towards the weapons on the ground. He picked up the gun and tried to aim it at Stoloff, but with Clint’s furious movements there was no clear shot. When he saw Clint knock Stoloff to the ground, Phil didn’t think. He snatched up the knife.

“Clint!”

As soon as Clint looked at him, Phil tossed him the knife which was caught by the handle. Clint turned just as Stoloff got to his feet and buried the blade up to the hilt into the Hydra commander’s chin. The glint of the knife seen in Stoloff’s mouth was soon covered with blood. Clint stepped back and Stoloff fell dead to the tarmac.

Phil got to his feet as Clint approached. “Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that. I keep owing you.”

Phil tried to smile, but failed. “I really hate Stark’s island.”

“Let’s go.”

~*~

Less than half an hour later, the private jet was safely in the air with Phil at the controls. He glanced over as Clint slid into the copilot’s seat.

“There is enough Hydra tech on board to keep SHIELD busy for some time,” Clint told him. “The helicarrier isn’t far. My guess is they narrowed down our position.”

“They won’t shoot us down, will they?”

“Let’s hope not.” Clint grabbed the headphones and set them on his ear. He adjusted the mic before speaking into it. “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot one niner three, do you read? This is ‘Elvis Has Left The Building’ on course for your position.”

“ _Barton? Is that you_?” a female voice replied.

“Yeah, it’s me, Hill.”

“ _I need your confirmation code_.”

“One Eight Alpha Sierra Sierra.”

Phil looked at Clint with incredulous eyes. “Seriously? The helicarrier is ‘WTF’, your call sign is ‘Elvis Has Left the Building’ and your confirmation code is “ass’?”

Clint grinned. “I wanted ‘18 year-old ass’, but Hill refused for obvious reasons.”

“ _Agent Barton_ ,” said a distinct male voice. “ _How the hell do I know you haven’t been compromised_?”

“Director Fury, I’ve got Stoloff’s favorite toy. You’ll think it’s your birthday when you see it. I’d rather you not shoot it down.”

“ _And Stoloff_?”

“Sorry, sir. You can’t put dead weight in a Christmas stocking.”

“ _Understood. We’re triangulating your position and should reach you in ten. We’ll clear a runway_.”

“Affirmative, sir.”

Phil looked straight ahead. “I suppose we should to talk about what happened.”

Clint removed the headphones and leaned his head back. “Not yet. I need to wrap my brain around it first.”

Phil didn’t blame him. He had drugged Clint against his will and used the drug cocktail to forcibly elicit information from him. _Add that one to an already long list of crimes he had committed in Hydra’s name_ , Phil grimly thought.

~*~

When Phil and Clint debarked the plane, Director Nick Fury met them out on the tarmac along with several SHIELD agents.

“Sir,” Clint said.

“Good to have you back, Agent Barton.”

“Good to be back, sir.” Clint motioned to Phil. “This is Dr. Phil Coulson.”

“I know who he is.” Fury didn’t even look at Phil. He just motioned towards the agents.

Clint felt the knot in his throat grow as Phil was cuffed and lead away. He had to make himself not track Phil with his eyes and instead kept his focus on Nick.

“I want you in medical before debriefing. Natasha’s waiting for you.”

“Yes, sir.”

They began walking and Clint struggled for the right words.

“Sir, before the debriefing I need you to know something.”

“What is it, Barton?”

Clint stopped. “I think I was compromised, sir.”

“How?”

“Hydra’s interrogation drugs.”

“How much did Stoloff get out of you?”

Clint uneasily shifted from one foot to the other. “It wasn’t Stoloff.”

“Coulson compromised you?”

_Wow, if that’s not a loaded question_ , Clint thought. “I think so.”

“You think?” Fury’s one eye bored into Clint. “You’re not sure.”

“Sir, he only asked me a few question and none of them had anything to do with current operations or deep cover intelligence.”

“Exactly what did he ask you?”

“Well, he asked about you.” Clint shrugged. “If I trusted you.”

“And your answer?” Nick asked raising his eyebrow.

“Come on, sir. Anyone who knows you couldn’t give a clear yes or no.”

“I see.”

“Then he asked me to name a mission with the best outcome and the worst. You know the answer to that. Belgrade.”

“Anything else?”

_Do you hate me?_ Phil’s voice whispered in his ear. “No, sir.”

“No, sir,” Nick repeated as if he didn’t believe him. He sighed and then chuckled.

It was so out of character to see the Director grin, he nearly took a step back.

“Coulson’s a smarter bastard than I gave him credit for.”

“Sir?”

“It was an interview, Barton,” Nick explained. “It wasn’t about you. It was about me and SHIELD. He was looking for integrity and I think you gave it to him.”

“What’ll happen to him, sir?”

“What usually happens to Hydra agents with his history?”

Clint had nothing to say to that. It boiled down to the reason he had been sent to eliminate Coulson in the first place. The Hydra scientist’s future remained in doubt and Nick wouldn’t alleviate his fears without him delving into everything that had happened on the island.

He headed to medical eager to talk to Natasha.

~*~

Phil sat in the depressingly plain interrogation with his hands still cuffed behind his back. They had searched him and relieved him of his cell phone. He should’ve been more worried about what was going to happen to him rather than think of that. There wasn’t information on the device that would be valuable. At least Phil had thought that far ahead when he procured it.

He wished he had a home he wanted to go back to. During his time with Hydra, his homes had been multiple secret bases and labs around the world. The most personal items he owned were stuck in a backpack left behind on the island. Even the laptop remained there. It was likely they’d be confiscated along with the meager lab he had hastily put together. Laboratories were probably the closest home he’d ever have.

The door opened and Phil jerked his head in response. The tall one-eyed black man filled the doorway and there was no mistaking who it was.

Phil tensed when Nick Fury moved towards him and then relaxed when he realized that the cuffs were being removed. He rubbed his sore wrists as Nick moved to the other side of the table and sat.

“Dr. Phillip J. Coulson, evil scientist and genius extraordinaire. I have to say that little concoction of yours was a work of brilliance.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You shouldn’t be. It’s cost us dearly in lives and intelligence.”

“Are you trying to manipulate me, Director Fury?”

“No,” Nick said shaking his head. “You won’t allow yourself to be manipulated. That much I do know about you.”

“You knew you couldn’t get me on your team so you sent Barton to kill me.”

“You were more dangerous alive, Doctor.” Nick leaned back and folded his arms. “I’m trying to determine if you’re still dangerous now.”

“I’m your prisoner, Director. Not much I can do on my end.”

Nick straightened and a cold smile spread across his face. “Don’t play harmless with me, Coulson. You’ve been able to stay one step ahead of us for a long time. Do you know how rare that happens at SHIELD with our resources?”

“Again, Director, I’m flattered. You’ll have to enlighten me as to the point of our tete-a-tete.”

“You kidnapped one of our best agents, held him prisoner and drugged him in order to extract intelligence. Let’s not to mention the long list of headaches you’ve given me over the years, Doctor.”

“Believe me when I say taking Agent Barton wasn’t part of the plan when I escaped the bunker in Germany.”

“You held him for a week.”

“Options were limited. You’re sidestepping, Director Fury. What is it you want from me?”

“Everything you’ve been working on, Hydra intelligence, secret bases, labs and ongoing operations.”

Phil then did give his most patronizing smile. “I think you overestimate my value to Hydra.”

“I think not, Doctor. No one becomes Hydra’s number one genius without being in the know of the particulars.”

“For my cooperation I get the deepest darkest hole that SHIELD possesses. How is the Fridge, by the way? I hear there’ve been serious security lapses.”

Then Nick did laugh. “Damn, Coulson. I wish I’d been the SHIELD agent you approached all those years ago. You would’ve been playing for our team ages ago.”

“The answer regarding my sister would still have been no. I’m not fool enough to think that it was some lackey making the decision to keep me out of the loop.”

“You’re right there, but more of an effort should have been made to bring you into the fold. You would have appreciated the stakes even if you didn’t agree with the decision. I am sorry about your sister, Doctor.”

He was. That much was clear to Phil. “I knew the odds were stacked against her beforehand.”

“Will Hydra make a go at rescuing you, Coulson? I only ask because I need to determine if you’re worth sacrificing good agents for.”

“They’ll try, but not to rescue me. I helped Barton escape and assisted him in the killing of Stoloff. I flew Hydra’s most technologically advanced aircraft into your front yard and literally handed over the keys. I’m more useful to them dead than I am to you alive.” Phil fingered the watch on his wrist. “I prefer to be called Phil.”

“Don’t try to make me like you, Dr. Coulson. I have to give a recommendation to the WSC on whether or not to put a bullet in you.”

Phil’s eyes were on his watch again. “Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Trust instinct to the end, even though you can give no reason’.”

“You like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Doctor?”

“He had a lot to say on the subject.”

Phil removed his watch, flipped it over and used his thumbnail to pry off the back. He took out a micro-SD card and set it in front of Nick.

“What’s on this?”

“The research Hydra doesn’t know about. There is also access to a dedicated proxy server. The server has every project and research I’ve conducted since I started working for them. I’ll tell you how to decrypt it.”

“You put everything on a server?”

Phil shrugged and gave a small smile. “It’s a Stark server that I hijacked several years ago.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Nick said in awe. He smirked at Phil. “Stark will be pissed. That’s worth calling you Phil.”

“You have no idea how funny that is.”

“Why’s that?”

“That’s what Clint said when I used Stark’s money to buy that island.”

Phil caught a brief questionable look in Nick’s eyes, then the man was all business.

“This will take my people some time to analyze. Would you be willing to assist them?”

“It’s time I start making amends for everything I’ve done in Hydra’s name.”

“Maybe it’s time I give my recruitment speech, Phil. What do you think?”

“Agent Barton already took care of that. Also, I think I can never set foot off this carrier. It’s a small price to pay.”

Nick took the micro-SD and stood to leave.

“Director Fury, Agent Barton is owed a set of steak knives.”

Seeing the confused look on Nick’s face, Phil nodded before the director left the room.

~*~

Clint sat on the gurney studying the Band-Aid at the crux of his elbow where the nurse had drawn several vials of blood. As he rubbed it with his thumb, he was taken back to when Phil had forced a needle into his vein in order to drug him. Regardless of the benign nature of the questions, it still felt like a violation.

“Want to talk about it?” Natasha asked. She stood not far with her arms crossed, he eyes pinning him in place.

“What’s there to talk about?” Clint knew what she meant, but he didn’t feel ready.

“In all the years I’ve known you, Clint, you have never once gone to medical voluntarily without my manhandling you ever step of the way.” She moved closer to him. “What happened on that island?”

“We thought Dr. Coulson was some fucking Hydra crazy scientist. Turns out that he’s actually a nice guy.”

“He held you prisoner and force-fed drugs into you.”

“Yeah, there is that,” Clint sighed. “He saved my life no less than three times. That ought to count for something.”

“Maybe. Maybe he was using you. Did you ever think of that?”

“I let him get close to me, Nat. I wanted him to. Hell, I still do.”

“How close?” When Clint looked away and didn’t answer, Natasha put her arms around him. “Oh, Clint.”

Laying his head on her shoulder, Clint needed the warmth of her hold. “I think I fell in love with him. It just happened and I think he did, too. At least a little bit.”

Natasha pulled back and rested her hands on his arms. “You have to talk to him, Clint. You have to know what this was for him or you’ll never be able to let it go.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want to know that he never felt anything for me. That what happened was a scheme to get away from Hydra all along. He needed an out and I was a guarantee to make sure SHIELD wouldn’t kill him.”

When Clint saw the small grin on Natasha’s face, he couldn’t believe it. “What the hell is so fucking funny?”

“Coulson must really be a god in bed to rattle you this much.”

Clint hopped off the bed. “Shut up.”

Natasha stopped him before he could leave. “Seriously, Clint. You’ve never let anyone get this close to you and I refuse to believe it would be someone who wasn’t worth your trust and love.”

They left medical and after a few turns down the corridor, they ran into Nick who was taking his time as he walked. The man who was always so purposeful and confident in his steps appeared to be deep in thought.

“Barton,” Nick said. “You get checked out in medical?”

“Yes, sir. They cleared me.”

“Commander Hill is waiting for you in her office. Sitwell will be conducting the debriefing while Hill observes.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Oh, and what’s this bullshit that I owe you a set of steak knives?”

It took a moment for what Nick said to sink in and when it did, Clint suddenly grinned. “Sir, could I talk to Dr. Coulson before my debriefing?”

“Sure, Barton. Interrogation room four.”

As Clint hurried down the corridor, he heard Nick’s voice.

“What the hell was that about?”

“He’s getting steak knives. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?”


	6. Chapter 6

Clint nearly skidded to a halt at the door from the rush to see Phil. He took a deep breath before walking inside. Phil was at the table with his hands folded in front of him as if he were a patient IRS tax guy. It almost made Clint laugh, but he kept his serious face intact.

“I saw Fury in the hallway. Is it true? Are you going SHIELD?”

“It seemed the prudent thing to do, not to mention right.”

“Phil,” Clint said as he sat. “There’s a part of me that gets what you were trying to do, but another part feels…”

“Betrayed,” Phil finished. “I understand that.”

“I don’t. I thought what happened between us meant something.”

“God, Clint, it did. It still does. How I feel about you…” Phil paused trying to find the words. This was something he was not accustomed to doing. He’d been a part of deceit, lies, and manipulations too long. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone and I handled it badly. I haven’t trusted a soul since Emily died.”

Clint nodded. The scientist in Coulson needed certainty and the drug cocktail ensured it. Trust would take time.

“Did Fury say what they were going to do with you?”

“I’m giving SHIELD access to all my research and projects including everything I know about Hydra. It’s likely I’ll remain on the carrier or at least in closed SHIELD quarters for the remainder of my life. Hydra will be hunting for me.”

“Is it over between us?”

“Clint, I can’t offer you anything remotely resembling a normal relationship. I don’t see how there is a future for us.”

“We can try, can’t we?” Clint was desperate for anything to hold onto. “Maybe when all this blows over…and I’ll go after any Hydra agents that make a go at you.”

The desperation in Clint’s voice and the reach of his hand towards Phil spoke of how much he was clinging onto any hope for them. Phil knew how slim their chances were, but it wasn’t in him to break Clint’s heart a second time.

When Phil kept silent, Clint got to his feet. “I’m not giving up, Phil. Not on us.”

“I know.”

Clint walked around the table, framed Phil’s face with his hands and leaned in putting his lips on Phil’s. It was a kiss of promise, that he would never let go and that this wasn’t the end of them.

Phil wanted to believe it, but life had taught him that belief was a fantasy, something children asked Santa for and birthday wishes. He couldn’t take that away from Clint and kept silent as he was left alone.

~*~

A month later, Clint was taking mission after mission on the hunt for Hydra agents looking to cross off Phil Coulson. He hadn’t been able to see Phil since that day in the interrogation room. Natasha had told him Phil had been put on lockdown at the Triskelion. Only those with the highest clearances were allowed access. It just made Clint all the more determined.

When he was summoned to Fury’s office, Clint wondered if he had pushed too hard for these specific missions. Sitwell had already expressed his dismay at Clint’s single-minded pursuit. He wouldn’t have been surprised if that was the reason for Fury’s order.

Clint stood in front of the desk stiff and waiting for the news that he would take only those missions deemed important by his superiors. Fury gave him a hard look and shuffled the papers around on his desk.

“Do you have any idea how much fucking grief you’re giving me, Agent Barton?”

“Sir?”

“It wasn’t that long ago that I had one of the best agents who took missions without question. Then he goes and disobeys a second To-Kill order, comes back full of fucking rainbows and unicorns.”

“Sir?” Clint repeated. He couldn’t make heads or tails of what Fury was saying.

“Your batting average for recruiting targets is at 100%. Some folks are thinking you’d recruit the devil himself if given half a chance.”

“I don’t understand, sir.”

“Consider yourself transferred, Barton. Report to Captain Rogers at Stark Tower at zero eight-hundred tomorrow.”

“Director, that’s the Avenger Initiative. It’s for superheroes.”

“You and Romanov are now a part of the Initiative. I trust you’ll make far better use of your time as their resident sniper and watching their six.” Nick went back to work. “Dismissed, Agent Barton.”

“Yes, sir.”

Clint left more confused than ever.

~*~

Stark Tower was as imposing as it was from a distance. Clint had avoided it like the plague. The goings on in that place had him questioning Fury’s sanity over adding an Asgardian god and a mild-mannered doctor who could turn green rage in a matter of a few seconds to a roster of superheroes. Stepping inside he felt out of place and was already having second thoughts.

“Good morning, Agent Barton,” the voice at the elevator said.

“Jarvis, right?”

“Correct, sir.”

“I’m supposed to report to Captain Rogers.”

The doors opened and Clint stepped inside as he adjusted his duffel bag over his shoulder.

“Captain Rogers is expecting you in the commons.”

A few minutes later, the doors opened and Clint hesitantly left the elevator. He saw Steve Rogers sipping a cup of coffee and reading through a newspaper at the table.

“Captain Rogers.”

Steve stood and walked over. “Welcome, Agent Barton. It’s good to have you on the team.

They shook hands. “Just Clint, if you don’t mind.”

"Rumor has it you watched me sleeping when I was getting thawed."

Clint nearly blushed. "How did you know about that?"

"Guess you could say a little bird told me. Just don't make a habit of it," Steve joked.

"Yeah," Clint smiled. "How about you don't let that get around."

“Sure, Clint. Sit for a minute and I’ll give you the fifty cent rundown.”

Clint followed him to the table and took the seat across. “I’ve never been much of a team player which is why I’m not even sure I should be here.”

“Most aren’t and there will be an adjustment period which is why for now I’m making weekly dinners and other team building exercises mandatory. We all have to learn not just to work together, but also live together.”

“What kind of exercises?”

“You’ll likely find some of them ludicrous, but in time it’s my hope that it will help us work better out in the field. Stark has an extensive training room and sparing center for starters. I’d also like a movie or game night. Thor and I are woefully short on pop culture references and the like. I’m sure as we all get to know one another we can find other ways to build team cohesion.”

“Okay, I think I could get into some of that. You read my file?”

“Yes.”

“Natasha and I have spent the majority of our time with SHIELD as assassins and spies. Solitude is part of our nature.”

“First off, I prefer Steve,” he offered with a bit of smile. “We’ll ease into it. Tonight’s the first official dinner. Stark wanted to order out, but I convinced him that cooking a meal together will be beneficial. We should be able to put together a spaghetti dinner.”

“I hope you’re right. Ever heard of the saying too many cooks in the kitchen?”

“That one I know,” Steve grinned.

They both got up and Clint lifted his duffel.

“You have the 38th floor.”

“Floor?”

“Tony gave everyone their own floor,” Steve told him. “When he heard you were coming, he decided to wall off a portion of your floor for an archery range.”

“Are you kidding?” Clint nearly jumped for joy. “It’s fucking Christmas!”

Steve laughed at Clint’s excitement.

~*~

When Clint arrived at his floor, he was amazed at the space. He’d never had anything so expansive. He moved through the living room and that was when he noticed the solitary figure leaning against the doorframe leading out to the balcony.

The body turned and at seeing Phil, Clint was momentarily stunned. He let the duffel slip to the floor and then he crossed the room taking long strides.

“Phil!” Clint didn’t hesitate to pull him in for a kiss.

It was a kiss of the lifetime as he began remembering the taste, the warmth and the passion in those moments only shared with Phil.

Clint had to step back for just a moment to catch his breath. “I don’t fucking believe it! What are you doing here?”

Phil, breathless himself, smiled until his cheeks hurt. “I guess I didn’t piss Stark off like everyone thought I did.”

“What?”

“Stark began investigating the missing funds at Jarvis’ request since the accountants couldn’t make heads or tails of what happened. Then he realized the missing server was the same I used for the island. He hacked into SHIELD, found out about me and offered me a job. He was impressed. Said anyone who could outsmart him even for a short time deserves better than living at the Triskelion.”

“And Fury went for it?”

“As long as I consult on an as needed basis. Tony guaranteed my safety here at Stark Tower. Apparently there are five floors of R&D Candy Land. I couldn’t say no.”

Clint was in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. That explains the sudden transfer.”

“I told Tony and Steve about you.”

Another hug was called for and Clint didn’t want to let go. It had been too long. He gave Phil another breathtaking kiss only this was for what was to come.

Phil broke the kiss and touched Clint’s face. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Me, too. I was starting to wonder if they’d ever let me see you.”

“Clint, there’s so much I want to tell you and I swore if I ever saw you again, I wouldn’t let another moment pass.” Phil took Clint’s hands in his. “I never knew how to tell anyone this. Even with Emily, expressions of emotion was always difficult for me. She was very forgiving that way.”

“You can tell me anything.”

“I love you, Clint. I think I have almost from the beginning.”

“Damn, Phil, I love you, too. Just remember I’ll be saying it a hell of a lot until I get used to having you around every day.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Phil promised.

They took another few minutes of kissing, touching and loving each other all over again. Clint murmured against Phil’s neck. “I hope the bed isn’t a twin.”

“California king,” Phil breathed.

Clint stepped back and went for his duffel bag. “I’m ready to break it in. How about you?”

“Anytime, Romeo.”

After Clint headed to the bedroom, Phil felt the vibration of his cell phone. He took it out and read the text message.

“ _Going dark. Status_?”

Phil thought for a moment before replying.

“ _I’m in_.”

He slid the phone back in his pocket and turned to gaze out the window. Phil could hear Clint’s movements in the bedroom and then after a moment, he turned.

When Phil got to there, Clint was unpacking his clothes.

“I have to tell you something and I’m not sure how you’ll take it,” Phil said unsure of this next step he was taking. It was a big one for him.

“What is it?”

Phil sat on the corner of the bed. “Do you remember the text messages I was getting on the island?”

“Yes.” Clint was starting to get nervous.

“I figure if you and I are going to make a go at this, trust has to come first and I want that for us.”

“Me, too.”

“A few months before everything, before us, I met someone. It was in London.”

Clint felt cold inside. “Shit, Phil. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s not what you think, Clint,” Phil assured him. “She asked for my help thinking that I could get into SHIELD systems. I couldn’t, but we connected and have been in contact with each other since, except when I was at the Triskelion.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Have a seat and I’ll tell you everything.” Clint did and Phil took his hand. “Her name is Skye and I want to help her.”

“If you do, so do I.”

Clint leaned in closer to listen.

 

END


End file.
